predator hunting PA??

J

joe johnson

New member
hey guys,
I was born and raised in alaska and i still live there. I am an avid predator hunter and every chance i get to cover some new country is a blessing that i try and make the most of.
I will be in Pennsylvania for about 6 days visiting family and I would like to try my hand and calling fox or yotes down there. I have never hunted anything like what im expecting in PA... up her in AK its wild and the critters are really spread out and widley dispersed. im assuming PA will be the oppisite?
What should i look for in a good spot to make a stand? river bottoms, creeks, feilds, swamps, hills..???
Is it legal to hunt at night with a spotlight?? I have an XLR kill light and would like to use it.
what are the odds? are there alot of foxes around? what sounds work best? (i have a bunch of hand calls and a foxpro spitfire)
Do yall have snow down there?

any helpfull responses would be greatly appreciated.
thanks guys!
good hunting!
joe,
 
As far as predator populations it all depends on what part of the state you are hunting some parts are more blessed then others are. As for night hunting with a spotlight it is legal. And as far as what kind of terrain to hunt the ones you mentioned are all good and can hold fox or coyotes. As far as your license go you will need to purchase a general hunting license and a furtakers license to hunt coyote and foxes. Good luck and post some pics of your kills.
 
As far snow goes..that also depends on what county you plan to visit. Here in Cambria County we just got 5 or 6 fresh inches. Good luck to you!!
 
Hi Joe, to hunt coyote you only need a general hunting license. To harvest a fox you must also have a fur takers license. Fox season closes around mid Febuary. Posted property in Pa. is really getting to be wide spread and a real pain! I hope you are visiting someone that has access to a lot of property. Pa. does have a lot of game lands all over the state that we sportsman have paid for and it is all open to public hunting. Let me prepare you for Pa. predator hunting. I have been doing this on and off over 30 + years in the upper NW part of the state and it is always very challenging to call anything in here. I have used many mouth calls and also now use the Foxpro Fury. I laugh at the pros when they say a coyote is a coyote no matter where they are hunted, well I beg to differ with them. Our coyote have been tested and have the wolf gene bred into them. I would suggest hooking up with some dog hunters chasing coyotes while your here, you will probably see more action. One group of dog hunters have only harvested 5 so far this season. The way I always approach hunting in Pa. is I love being in the outdoors, if I do call something in it was a real banner day. Good huntin to ya! We do have snow right now and you can hunt 24 hrs.day 7 days a week for fox and coyote. Good luck enjoy your trip. Mick
 
You only need the furtaker license to hunt fox and coyote. It's only 81 dollars for non residents. You don't need to buy general hunting license unless you plan on hunting anything but them. I only have my furtaker and I'm legal for all fox and coyote. Any type of predator I can hunt.
 
thanks everyone!
I wasnt really planning on targeting coyote, i am more intersted in fox...
both reds or greys. ive never even seen a gray, but i have killed many reds.
I will be in harrisburg for one of the days and the rest ill be spending in Lewisberry. i know he knows freinds and has accsess to a few private property spots.
What specificly should i look for if im really wanting the chance at a fox?
What sounds and calls work best?
up here its easy because i mainly just use a snowshoe hare distress and everything comes in. im guessing more small rodent sounds down there???

thanks everyone i really apreciate it.
 
If you are targeting gray fox Foxpro has some good sounding gray calls. gray fox distress, platinum grey fox pup, steam-n- grey, gray fox fight, steeltown grey fox pup also grey fox rabbit or woodpecker. I have not hunted grays in quite sometime but you want to hunt thick nasty stuff, swamps and overgrown fields and such. They are brave little suckers, don't be afraid to use higher volumes with these sounds. You can also hunt in the woods, use your lights don't worry about shadows. Sounds like you already know how to call reds but try the higher pitch bird sounds on them with lower volume. Also red fox vocals like article fox bark. I'm glad on target7 responded about just needing fur taker I'm so use to buying both. Rabbits and rodents also work. I'm pretty sure you will be in better fox area on that end of the state. I have had grays run within 5' of me. They are exciting hard chargers!
 
You'll most likely see Reds in that area of the state, that doesn't mean there aren't greys though. Rabbit distress and bird sounds work well, also if you have Johnny Stewart Grey fox distress that's real good too.
 
Make sure of the night hunting laws. It used to be that you could use a light but it could not be attached to your firearm. I live just north of the Pa boarder and see quite a few Fox. Both Reds and Grey's.
 


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